Houston man dies in house fire after threatening to shoot deputies | News

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A Houston County man died when his house burned late Saturday night, but not because the fire department didn't get there in time.

A release from the sheriff's department says deputies and fire personnel responded to a fire call at 642 East Hwy 26 in Elko around 11 p.m.

Onlookers told them someone was still in the house, but when they tried to enter the house, 51-year-old William Kezar told them to leave or he would shoot them, all while the house continued to burn.

The firefighters and officers backed off and shortly after heard what they thought were gunshots. Kezar never came out of the house.

Houston County coroner Danny Galpin says they found his body in a bedroom of the home. Galpin says a medical examination of the remains of his body found no bullet and no gunshot wound or bleeding. Galpin says Kezar's official cause of death is smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide intoxication. He was pronounced dead around 2 a.m. Sunday morning and the nature of his death is undetermined at this time.

Galpin also says Kezar's father lived in the house with him, but was able to get out okay.

Lt. Dave Carrick with the Houston sheriff's department says they believe the shots they heard may have been guns or ammunition burning in the fire rather than actual gunfire by Kezar. There is also the possibility that aerosol cans exploded from the heat.

Carrick says they have no reason to suspect any foul play. Kezar had a prior arrest for DUI in 2010, but Carrick did not relate that to this incident. The fire started in the kitchen of the home, but the official cause is still under investigation.